In Washington, D.C., personal injury lawsuits are subject to a statute of limitations.  A statute of limitations limits the amount of time a person has to file a lawsuit.  If you fail to file your personal injury lawsuit within this period of time, the statute of limitations may expire, and you may forfeit your right to seek monetary damages.  This statute can begin right after your injury occurs, with limited exceptions.

Personal injury attorneys customarily get paid a percentage of the money recovered called a contingent fee.   This means, if you retain our services we do not charge you anything unless we collect money for you through a settlement or judgment.  Our fee is then a percentage of the settlement or judgment.  If we do not collect money on your behalf, we do not collect a fee.  Most of the time, we will pay for all of the expenses that are involved in building your case. If you receive money as a result of a successful settlement or judgment, we will be reimbursed our expenses at that time from your proceeds.

This is probably the most frequently asked question.  Each case is different and there are no rules for valuing a case.  Some of the factors that influence a case’s value are the severity of the injury and whether it impacts on your ability to earn a living, the question of liability or fault, the amount of available insurance coverage, the permanency of your injuries, and other contributing factors.  Your attorney may be able to give you a very general idea of the value of your case based on prior similar injuries, but usually cannot predict a specific recovery. Reputable attorneys will not speculate on the value of a case or promise a specific result.